Tuesday, Sept. 15 is National Voter Registration Day, and voters in Michigan made it easier to register to vote throughout the state in 2026.
The state has a five-step process to register to vote in Michigan. You can register any time up to 8 p.m. on Election Day in-person, but if you're registering another way, you register at least 15 days before the election.
Here's the five-step process:
Step 1: Verify you are eligible
To be eligible, you must be:
- A Michigan resident at the time you register
- A U.S. citizen
- At least 18 years old when you vote
- Not currently serving a jail or prison sentence
- You can register when you are 17.5 years old but can't vote until you're 18.
Step 2: Fill out an application
You can register by any of these methods
- Online at Michigan.gov/VoterRegistration
- At a Secretary of State branch office
- At your city or township clerk’s office or your county clerk’s office
- By mailing in a completed voter registration application postmarked at least 15 days before the election; or,
- Through a voter registration drive
*Within 14 days of an election, voters must register to vote in person at their clerk’s office or satellite office and present proof of residency documentation.
Step 3: Submit your application
You can submit your application online, hand-deliver it in person or submit it via mail.
Step 4: City/Township clerk processes application
Your city or township clerk will send you a voter registration card upon processing your application. Keep it in your wallet or purse so you know where to go to cast your ballot. For directions and a map to your polling place, visit Michigan.gov/Vote.
Step 5: You're registered!
